The effects of Sept. 11

By the numbers - September 2005

September arrives, leading us away from summer. There are the last picnics and the first days of school, the rustle of the leaves as the trees start to turn, and all of it glows in the fading autumn light.

And there is something else now, too. It happened four years ago. We tell our children about it now if they were too young. We remember it each September.

The tragedy of Sept. 11, by the numbers:

3,057 Number of men, women and children who died in connection with the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

20 Miles, the distance from which the burning towers were visible.

1,300 Number of children orphaned by the attacks.

17 Number of babies born later to mothers whose husbands were killed in the attacks.

10,000 Number of schoolchildren in New York City suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after the attacks.

20 Percent increase in attendance at churches and synagogues after the attacks.

672 Number of books published regarding the attacks.

501,000,000 Number of dollars raised for the September 11th Fund.

89 Percent of the fund used for financial assistance and services such as grief counseling for families of victims and survivors.

4,300,000 Number of pounds of food and supplies provided by the fund at Ground Zero.

10,000 Number of children born in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

20 Percent increase in births in New York City hospitals nine months after the attacks. Life goes on. Civilization is perseverance.